John Bell

Overview

Using viruses to kill cancer cells is a promising alternative to chemotherapy because it dramatically reduces the toxicity of treatment. Viruses are able to infect cells, replicate, induce cell death, release viral particles and spread through human tissues, making them an ideal weapon against cancer. Dr. Bell’s lab has shown that a variety of viruses selectively replicate in and kill cancer cell lines while leaving healthy parts of the body intact. The lab is currently seeking to understand the mechanisms by which viruses selectively target cancer cells. They are also optimizing the vesicular stomatisis virus as a cancer-fighting agent and testing the role of the immune system in both the enhancement and the inhibition of oncolytic virus activity.